PNLA Quarterly, Vol. 63 No.4 Summer 1999

From the Editor

Consider the wonderful opportunity...

Having signed on for a 3-year commitment, this is my last issue as editor of the PNLA Quarterly. These have been years of personal professional growth and a growing sense of commitment to the Pacific Northwest Library Association. I have had the privilege of working with a great team of librarians who have provided tremendous support to the ongoing publication of the Quarterly.

As a new editor, I had several goals relative to publication of the Quarterly. I wanted to retain its strength as the official publication of the association, focus on the strength of feature articles, and establish online access.

During the past two years, the Board completed member surveys and reviewed the mission of PNLA. Throughout this review process, the PNLA Quarterly remained an important component of the organizational structure and continues to serve as a cornerstone of the newly drafted Communication Plan. Wonderful potential exists for further development of the Quarterly. Within the framework of the Communication Plan, the Quarterly can evolve into a refereed journal, work in tandem with state and provincial newsletters, and or become an entirely electronic publication. A new editor in concert with the new Board can enjoy unlimited opportunities.

One of the pleasures of editing a professional journal is the contacts with librarians thoughout the region who are not only accomplishing new and inventive programs but are also willing to share their experiences with other librarians in the region. My focus on feature articles has put me in contact with many of these active librarians. It is their shared experiences that make the Quarterly an important form of communication and continuing education for librarians in the Northwest.

Another accomplishment of which I am most pleased is the electronic publication of the PNLA Quarterly. Beginning with the fall issue in 1997, Elizabeth Felt, Reference Librarian at Washington State University in Pullman and PNLA Webmaster, has published the full-text of the Quarterly available from the PNLA wesbsite at www.pnla.org. In addition, the tables-of-content of all issues since fall 1989 are available as well. This has provided improved access for PNLA members, especially for those in Alaska, Alberta, and British Columbia whose hard copies arrive in the very real sense of snail mail.

The Board has approved electronic access through a full-text database subscription. Copyright has also been formalized. A copyright statement appears in the Quarterly and a formal statement for authors to sign is sent to authors prior to publication. These changes reflect the evolution of the Quarterly during a period of revolutionary change in the publication business and a pro-active effort on the part of PNLA to meet the changing needs of its membership.

I can only repeat my opening statement. Wonderful potential exists for the new editor of the PNLA Quarterly.

Sue Samson, Humanities Librarian at The University of Montana has edited the PNLA Quarterly since 1996.